The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1887-03-23
A CHANCE MEETING.

..tah-Ar tANe" JAW
A CHANCE MEETING.
John Challoner was telling utterly mis-
erable He was brown-bes,rded, sturdy
looking man, with every outward appear
uce Of health and prosperity but a. h.
sat there in toe corner Of the railway ear
r.age. with his hands thrust deeply into
tine capaciou- pockets of his fIr-lined
coat. and with his travelling cap pulled
low over his eye-. / doubt if there were
So wratched man in the whole Of that
London express.
There was a terrible storm on, for il
was the Christmas Eve Of =, and destin-
ed to be a memorable night in the annals
Of the weather almanacs but a he SAL
there watching the snow being hurled in
compact misses against the windows
John ChaIlouer felt a certain grim sails
faction that nature should be in accord
ance with his own tempc>tuoUS thoughts
He was not very sure Of their present
whereabouts. but as far a. he could judge
the train was already some hours late
and was progressing at very SLOW rate
indeed. Well. what did it matter, after
all. whether or not he were home in time
for the Christmas day? The big. dreary
house, that d girls young presence had
seemed to flood with sunshine, would
appear even bigger and drearier, now
that that girl had left it forever There
would be sarah. OF course. the silent elder
sister. who had watched over Johns
motherless boyhood. and who loved him
with 50 Jealous devotion but then
sarah wasn't Nadge, and it was Madge
he wanted Not that he would have ad-
mitted as much for a moment that
would have been too ridiculous, when it
was only last night; after a somewhat pro
Ionsed visit a. the--scottish metropolis,
that he had been talking to a lawyer in
Edinburg and giving him instructions
about the drawing up Of the paper which
was 10 separate the husband and wife.
John was TO 20 his way. and Madge was
to 20 hers. And this was the end Of
those four wears Of married life which had
opened 80 brightly and we'll this was
the end of that first tiny quarrel, when
Challoner had fotgotten the promise 10
take his girl-wiie TO an especial dance,
and had spent the evening among the
books which had been the sole compan-
ion Of his hitherto solitary life. Whose
actual fault was il that things had come
% this pass In what had the trouble
consisted. that there had been such jar
ring ia the home that they had ultimate
ly decided 10 live their lives apart
The train went slower and slower the
freshly fallen snow lay in high banks
ON either side. but John Challouer's
thong lts never wandered from the old
sore subject One by one he recalled
the various landmarks of those four
wears How bitterly Sarah had resented
the advent Of the Young bride how im-
possible be had found it to live society
life with Nadge and vet get through the
necessary literary work which meant bis
livelihood how eagerly tai, vouug cous-
iu. Charlie Thorne. had volunteered to
take her to dances. and soon. in his stead
Then he recalled their little daughters
birth, and the glad hopes that had sprung
iuto life is be took his TINY Christmas
rose in his stalwart arms and tried 10
trace the mother-look in the baby feat
ures. But the baby had only lived 70 see
her second birthday, and with her death
the rift within the lure had slowly wi
denei and the faint music whi'h she
had echoed in their daily lives was turn
ed into iancIing discord.
Nad.e was fonder of young Thone
than Of John himself sarah had aver
red, and the poor fellow had been forced
Co acquie-cc, when barely had the dead
child been laid 20 rest before her mother
hand taken up the old whirl of dissipa-
fiop. with Charlie Thorne in constant al
tendance.
There was nothing. ! think. which
John ChalIoner felt 50 bitterly, as his
same apparent harl-heartednes.. 1t is
not often that men care for very Young
children. but this curly-headed little
dsuob,er had been simply worshipped
b,. her father. The fact that this man
was a ro,.t both bv nature and profession
may narl,al,. h tve helped him in his love
ami rouprehepsiop Of what Theodore
Watt. 50 beautifully calls the music of
luusn .p...cb-fhe beloved babble OF
Children but certain it j. that he had
SET biyf. hop.s upon this little one. The
h sl.>t Of an was that she would bind
d. l....rtif,,l yyif. cl,.er IN him but the
l,.!tv b.I died ana was under the snow.
ana tb.. 5aoj homes were buried in the
.rr,,, gf t,v-,srs' uarrbDent which an